2014-03-06 - Mending Broken Bridges
It was a simple request from Tony. Just go talk to the Young Avengers about the whole positive public relations spin that is needed to counteract the negative press being generated. It was simple. But, nothing is ever simple. Business kept getting in the way...personal, professional and Avengers business. All the while that little simple request kept being delayed. A little more each time. However, not any longer. With recent events occurring, Janet no longer has the luxury of putting things off. Things needed to get done. And the talk to the YA is top on her list. After a quick call to Adam, then a secondary call to America just to make sure, Jan managed to arrange a time to come over. As the pre-arranged time comes near, Janet walks in to the Hawks Aerie and makes her way to the second floor. There is a package tucked under her arm and a briefcase in the other hand as she reaches the second floor, pausing at the landing to get a sense of the surroundings. The door is wide open. The sound of explosions and the ratta-tat-tat of automatic gunfire blares from the second floor apartment. And a collection of teens are gathered in the living room area, on the couch, the recliner, wherever they have decided to make themselves comfortable. Empty glass bottles of Coke and various empties from Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, and other sodas are scattered across the coffee table, along with paper plates with the remnants of what looks like it might have been... greek? Maybe? Yeah, probably, since there's a couple of uneaten gyros and a few mostly-empty take-out containers with hummus, tzatziki, and couscous on the counter. The video game on the television is where the noise is coming from. A virtual representation of Raptor and the white-headed kid Ms. Janet's probably never met are both hanging out of a car on the screen, shooting indiscriminately, their real-life counterparts mashing furiously on the buttons of their controllers. One of the kids-- a skinny strawberry blonde-- has a plastic steering wheel in his hand... apparently he's the getaway driver? "COME ON!" Adam yells. "COME ON, TEDDY. The SHIELD guys are catching up! We'll NEVER get to steal the helicarrier this way! Speed it up!" The white haired kid, Tommy Shepherd, is currently wearing a Tokyo Dragons jersey, something he picked up while he was on a run to the J-Tech offices in Tokyo. He also picked up an addiction to Babymetal, but that's another story. He's currently trying throwing grenades at SHIELD agents out of the back of a car. Or well, he's punching buttons on a controller while his character on the game throws the grenades. The strawberry blonde shoots a look at Adam, for just a second, before quickly returning to the television screen, jerking on the steering wheel as the virtual vehicle just misses slamming into a wall. "Damn, Adam! Chill! This isn't as easy as it looks, you know." However, the car does pick up speed on the game. Seems, at least for the moment, the path is clear. Or Teddy is just cranking on the speed to pacify Adam. In any case, the car starts to put some distance between it and the SHIELD agents. America sits on the edge of the couch with a soda in hand which she sips at occasionally while watching those actually playing the video game go at it. Her head shakes however at the cry from Adam about stealing the Helicarrier. "... Remind me to never let you guys drive for real," she mutters watching the on-screen antics as she takes a sip of coke. Janet's arrival is caught from the corner of her eye and she nods toward the woman politely. She'd never met Janet before, or Wasp for that matter. "Hey. Hit the pause button guys, our meeting's here. Want a drink?" She offers simply. Finesse, meanwhile, is not presently not engaged in the co-op gameplay. That is because she's on a thin laptop from Stark Enterprises that's presently not on the open market. Always good to be a part of R&D. Her fingers are flying over the keyboard, and computer code is flying across the screen. She pauses, as America speaks up, looking up. "Janet," she greets. “Hello, America and Jeanne." Janet's voice is calm and clear, cutting through the cacophony that is the video game in the background. Janet first makes her way towards Jeanne, shifting her briefcase to her other hand so that she may free the package from under her arm. She holds out the long box, clearly marked as from Van Dyne Design, just within Jeanne's peripheral vision, as to not to disturb. "I finished your design. Thought I would run it to you so that you may inspect it and inform me of any alterations you may wish to it. After all, I was in the neighborhood." Janet jerks her head over towards the trio on the gaming system. "So, they know that the game's going to go off while I am here, right? Or, at least put on pause." "Meeting time," Adam says simply, hitting the pause button on his controller. Tommy's white-haired analogue stops mid-throw, his own in the middle of reloading. He turns and waves at the only non-teen in the room with a grin. "Hey Ms. Janet. What can we do ya for?" he says merrily. "You said it was important?" Tommy grimaces when the game stop. "I almost got em," he says before he looks over at Janet and promptly runs a hand through his hair. "Uh, hello, er Miss Janet was it?" he asks. There is a minor blink of surprise as Teddy finds everything just freezing in place. Then Adam's comment hits him a second later. "Oh...right." The steering wheel is placed down on the floor besides the formerly lounging teenager as Teddy himself rises to his feet. He blushes slightly and offers a slight wave. "Hmm...hi. Sorry about the game. Just killing time until you got here, Ms. Van Dyne." Teddy does have good manners, when he remembers to use them. Finesse takes the package, after saving the program, and closing the laptop neatly. She does not open it, but merely nods once. "I will alert you to any necessary changes. I am certain a tailor of your caliber made no errors." She glances towards the video-game players. She watches Janet, curiously. America gives a faint shrug at mention of the game being off while she's here. "Just killing time. We did all gather here for you. So." An eyebrow lifts a bit as she regards Janet uncertain of how to take the presence of the Avenger. Shifting where she sits she draws one leg over the other resting her soda on her knee lightly in hand. "What do the Avengers want with little old us?" There is a slight pause, as Janet moves into a more central location so that she may be able to address all equally. "Well, the initial reasoning was to discuss the negative press that has been circulating in regards to heroes as of late." She looks at each one in turn, those blue eyes regarding each person present intently. "However, there has been some recent events that has occurred within the Avengers that I feel you should know as well. So, since I am within your domain, I will let you choose which we discuss first. Possibilities for generating good PR, or the recent changes within the Avengers?" Adam gives Janet a wary look. "Uh, look, we're probably /not/ the people to be talking to about PR." He taps his t-shirt: a dark purple shirt with the word YOLO written down it in silvery-grey along the left side, the right side a scrawl saying 'be a hero'. May as well own it, right? "And I don't see what Avenger stuff has to do with us. I mean, I get it, we're Young Avengers, but last time I checked, we don't answer to you guys, outside of classes, and that's only for those of us in the Academy. We're not 'junior Avengers' unless you guys had some sort of vote and brought us on board-- and if so, maybe you should have offered us a heads up." Yep, there's that flippant look, as Raptor runs a hand through his purple spikes. He shrugs. "So, dunno. Up to the rest of you guys. Shaking babies and kissing hands? Or whatever 'Uncle Tony' has decreed for us this week." That last bit may have been a bit snide, but he dislikes Stark, and that's no secret. Tommy leans back on the couch hands behind his head with a winning smile on his lips. "Actually Raptor, we're not the one with the PR problems. I mean sure we showed up on the videos those creeps are showing, but we weren't whacking babies like that one red head was," he explains. "Other than that, when I look at the news I see us saving hostages from mutant terrorists and stopping a gang war at rush hour. Meanwhile the only ink the Avengers are getting are farewells to Cap and Rag articles about which team member that dilche Stark is banging." A pause and an apologetic look to Janet follows. "Pardon my French. Anyhow, so if the team wants to hear it, we'll hear it, but as far as I'm concerned, this right here," he gestures to the team. "Is Avengus Superior." Adam highfives Tommy. "Seriously, though, guys...we should hear Ms. Van Dyne out." Teddy's the new kid on the block...so he hasn't been around to get jaded, perhaps. Or he is just using those good manners again. "I mean, she did come down here to talk to us specifically, on our home turf. That's gotta count for something, right?" Finesse looks towards Adam, as he goes off on Janet, then looks back to Tommy, following the conversation. She agrees, "Outside of Tommy, we have not been the targets of the campaign that has you worried." Yes, Jeanne saw the article about Tommy vaporizing the school. Still, Adam has her frowning. "You do not know what is being asked of us, because you have not let her ask it, Adam." She then looks to Janet, expectantly. America snorts faintly at the mention of PR and recent events in the Avengers. The open and welcoming (or at least accepting) attitude she'd had before shifts entirely with her arms crossing over her chest as she rolls her eyes. Adam speaks up though meaning she doesn't have to. Not yet at least. Once he's said his piece she interjects, "We already had a team meeting. We're not doing PR." It's stated firmly though she looks to the others to confirm that they were still on the same page. Only then does she look back to Janet. "No matter what we might do, we'd be an easy target. Most of us are underage or just barely past that. Even if we didn't screw up and were the best ever--They could easily throw that in our face. We decided it'd be best to just lay low for this. Do our thing, but don't try to be a spectacle for everyone else. When we do though..." A nod is given to Tommy's point out. "We have OUR shit together." Nevermind a few HAD been in the news recently. Sometimes it just couldn't be avoided. "Have to agree on the Avenger part myself. Though I have heard that most of the Young Avengers, or at least specifically the ones that DO attend the Academy, were asked to pull some shifts to help out while you guys were taking a breather." There's just an edge to her voice when she says this--A bit of rankled annoyance at this. Another 'Blame Stark' moment. "I guess the consensus is to hear you out. So say what you want to." Jan sighs softly. "Well, that pretty much tells me where I need to go with this." She sets her briefcase down gently, right beside her, then looks up, initially at Adam...but then to each person in turn. "What I am about to tell you is in the strictest of confidence. Only the Avengers know of the information I have for you. I have my reasons for sharing, which will make sense the moment you hear what I have." Silence takes the room, for a few seconds, as Janet levels her eyes specifically upon Adam. " 'Uncle Tony' is stepping down as an active Avenger. He is no longer chairperson and he is no longer headmaster at the Academy. A new chairperson has been voted in and a new headmaster chosen for the Academy." She releases Adam from her gaze, focusing upon the rest in turn. "You may be pleased to know who is headmaster. That is, if you don't already know. That role has been passed on to Clint." "As far as chairperson, you might find the recent vote to be favorable, as well, even if you care little for Avenger politics. For the team voted....and I am the new chairperson." "Good." Adam's comment is short and curt. "The guy is a dick. He probably could stand some retirement time. Of course, he dumps the Academy /and/ the team on my uncle." Yeah, Adam was already aware. "But whatever. Uncle Clint's got it. Glad you're the chairperson, Ms. Janet. You're the only other Avenger besides Unc and Pym that isn't, you know, crazy and a dilche." I mean, seriously. "Neat," Tommy says when he hears about the Avengers and the Academy. "Your Uncle is running the place?" he says to Adam. "I may just sign up after all. I mean he can't keep me out because of my record right? Being a former crook himself," probably not the best thing to say in front of the Avenger's chairperson. "Anyhow, uh, Ms. Janet, grats on the promotion, I guess." America lifts an eyebrow at that news, but she nods. "Makes sense given he's got other pressing matters to deal with. And yeah, knew about Clint getting the Academy." Lifting a hand she gestures toward the kitchen were a messy stack of papers had been shuffled. "Thus the paperwork. Only reason I'd think of coming back at this point, frankly, after that little crap Tony pulled." Shrugging her arms cross again. "Only one other thing 'going on' in the Avengers I know of right now." "Well, great..." Teddy's response is less than thrilled. "I mean, no offense to your uncle and all, Adam, but that is going to make it seriously tough for me to get into the Academy now. Considering all the warnings I got about my whole accidential unfortunate genetic makeup and all." He doesn't go into detail about it. He does look up to Janet. "So, what does you being chairperson have to do with us, anyways?" "Black Widow is a formidable trainer," chimes in Finesse on the heels of Adam's opinion. There is a pause, "Adam. You and I are undergoing a series of training sessions. Immediately." It does not seem to be up or open for debate. She also doesn't seem to share the opinion that most of her teammates do about Tony, but she leaves that to the side. Teddy's question seems pertinent to her, though. And rather than voice other opinions, or inject further discourse, she observes, listens. Janet turns to regard the strawberry blonde, studying Teddy intently, as if sizing him up mentally. "That is a fair question." She remains in her business professional stance, but there is a bit of a release as she sees that there is at least some welcome in the news. "And the answer is simple. It all depends on how much you want it to mean. I know that Tony wasn't a popular person with most of you. Part of that is because, I believe, he was seeing you more as the junior squad than as a team of your own." Janet offers a smile...the first true one since she walked in, bringing back the more casual Jan that people may be familiar with. "I don't intend on making that same oversight. I know that you all are a good team. I see things that the others miss. I know what good you all can do together. I intend on treating you as equals. You hold true to the Avenger creed just as much as any other Avenger. It is about time the others see it as well." "It is my intention to work together with you. As such, I am going to speak to Clint directly at some point to step up my role at the Academy to mentor, rather than merely support staff, so that you all can speak to me on issues outside of costume design. Also, I have no intention on forcing PR viewpoints upon you. I trust you to do the right thing." "We'll handle Clint, Teddy. Just needed to give him some time to get used to you so he realizes you're not going to go insane on him or something," America offers with an apologetic smile toward the strawberry blonde. "It'll be fine. We'll just break it to him easy." With booze no doubt. As Jeanne suggests training with Black Widow she interjects, "Black Widow won't be training anyone much longer, and shouldn't be right now to begin with unless she wants to risk complications with the pregnancy. Honestly surprised Stark hasn't locked her up yet." America shakes her head. No caffeine. The monster. Running a hand back through her hair she sighs quietly. "The Young Avengers weren't around until a month or two ago, Janet. The Academy just kind of... Died off. I was going to ask Tony about becoming a mentor myself but he was never around. Too busy. Always too busy." She shrugs a bit and just continues on, "It was after he dragged everyone in to tell about Cap, and apparently ask people to help out with patrols that I got fed up with." Adam gives Finesse a look. "Uh? Sure. I told you, whatever training you're willing to put me through," he replies dismissively. "As long as you don't break my ribs again. That shit sucked." He looks over at Teddy. "I'll handle that, bro, if you want in. I mean, he doesn't care you're here, right? So yeah. He probably won't think anything about it." Then that bombshell drops, and... "You've got to be kidding me," Adam gives America a gobsmacked look. "You mean Clint told you and /didn't/ tell me about that?! Gawd. Stark's procreating? There'll be MORE of him? And with unc's murder-crazy ex? So they'll be half insane spy and half alcoholic womanizing asshole?" He pauses. "...wait, so this is how Archer happens. Unsure if that makes things better or worse." Tommy snorts and elbows Adam in the ribs when he makes the Archer crack. Then he nods. "Sounds like you guys are patching things up nice. If they let Teddy in and if Rica ends up a mentor I'll definitely put in my app for the Academy." "Thanks, Adam...Rica. That would be awesome." Teddy does seem a bit relieved at the support. "I know that Jeanne's just dying to run me through whatever insane regiment she has in mind and I rather it be at the Academy so that I don't end up maimed or something." Teddy is exaggerating, a lopsided smile upon his face. "Really, though...I know I could use the experience." Teddy shifts to Jan. "So...yeah. That's pretty cool. Sounds better than what I heard of before." Of course, he only heard stories. But some of them were pretty harsh. And that whole thing about a pregnancy? Flies right past Teddy. After all, he doesn't know Black Widow personally. Janet, however, just shakes her head, as a hand reaches up to cover her face. "America, I can't believe you just said that." It may seem like she is disapproving of the comment, but a closer inspection shows that she is actually stifling a laugh behind that hand of hers. The hand drops, and Janet is indeed smiling. "Yeah, everyone. That...was the other news from the Avenger meeting. Natasha is down to a support role within the Avengers as well. She certainly isn't happy about it, but you all know how Tony gets when he wants something. And...it seems he wants kids." She shakes her head again, this time opting to giggle plainly before everyone. "Well, so much for that. Try not to tell anyone else about that, okay? There was a huge blowup at one of the meetings because someone couldn't keep a secret." "Anyways, that's about what I got, everyone." Janet seems a lot more relaxed now than when she came in...this meeting must have went well in her eyes. "If you have any questions for me, feel free to fire them off to me. Oh...and if you need any upgrades to your look, hit me up." She levels a finger towards Adam. "I will need you later to come by the studio later, sweetie. I need to make sure I got your measurements so you can stop using your uncle's hand-me-downs." "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Adam grouses. "I got it, I'll be in sometime this week." He sighs at Ms. Janet. "And no one's hearing about Stark Jr., future agent of ISIS, from me." America looks toward Adam only to shrug at him indifferently. "Wasn't Clint. Tony told me himself. Dragged me out house shopping. I think he's nesting, or something." Another shrug is given as she cracks a half smile nodding toward Teddy. There wasn't any need to thank her for the support, really, but she accepts it. "We're a team, course we're gonna look out for one another. If we don't who will?" Looking back to Janet she nods in agreement. So far things had gone well in spite of earlier tensions it seemed. "Yeah, I'll keep my trap shut," Tommy lies smoothly. Now what was that number for Rag magazine again? "Did you say someone else already leaked this to people?" he asks casually. Teddy grins..."Well, from the sound of it, Ms. Van Dyne has our backs." He offers another of those sheepish grins to Jan. "Hmm...thanks for talking to us like adults. I certainly appreciate it." Janet casts a sideward glance towards Tommy. He may be an effective liar, but Janet isn't fooled easily. "Not people. Person. As in singular. I think it was done in an effort to get back at Tony, but that is all I will say on the subject." A touch of the business Jan creeps into her voice...she means what she says. "Seriously, though. No one goes to the press with that news. Tony has plans on doing that himself, via his own way. I know you all hate him, but at least give him that. I find that someone leaks it to the press, then nice Jan is going on a little vacation. I don't need a half-crazed inventor coming after me with a vengeance bot." Tommy nods and looks over at Adam. "He doesn't have vengeance bots right?" he asks seriously before he looks to Janet and nods. "Yeah, like I said, keeping my mouth shut." "He has bots. I've broken several," America adds oh-so-helpfully. "I'm guessing since it's not in the papers already, whoever it was was made to STFU," Adam says with a shrug. "Anyways. We're all gonna keep shut about it--" was that a glance at Tommy? nahhhh "...because I just don't want to deal with Stark or Widow." Janet picks up her briefcase as Teddy just nods his consent for keeping quiet. She speaks, that smile back on her lips. "Splendid. Then I best be off, at least so the three of you can finish that game. Thank you again for letting me come over." She stands still for just a moment, giving time for any last minute commentary, before turning for the staircase to show herself out.